The House of the Dragon season 3 finale dialed up the intensity and delivered all the fire, blood, death and betrayals that we expect from a Game of Thrones show. Days later, we're still reeling and working through the implications — and thinking back on our favorite scenes.
Season 3 opened with the Battle of the Gullet, a massive naval clash between the Sea Snake's armada and a fleet of Triarchy pirates. That was quite the spectacular way to start, but it doesn't hold a candle to how intense things got during the Battle of Tumbleton, when the Blacks raided a market town near King's Landing that Ormund Hightower turned into a Green stronghold. Throw in a shocking heel turn by the dragonrider Ulf the White, and it was a recipe for truly epic battle.
From the slow-burn lead up to the fight to frantic duels and sobering moments of horror, let's go over our top 10 best moments from House of the Dragon's Battle of Tumbleton.
1. The Blacks' strategy meeting
Part of the reason why the Battle of Tumbleton is so engaging to watch is because House of the Dragon laid the groundwork for it so well. Yes, we had a season of build up to this moment, but in the finale itself we also spend ample time with the Greens and Blacks as they maneuver themselves into position for the battle, only for each side to encounter unexpected obstacles that force them to adjust.
We watch this happen in real time during a strategy meeting led by Oscar Tully (Archie Barnes) and Daemon Targaryen (Matt Smith), where the pair lay out their plan for invading the city. Part of what makes this scene so fun is that it utilizes all the main characters from the River host — even Black Aly (Annie Shapero) gets a one liner, and we sorely need more of this fan-favorite book character.
But what really seals the meeting as a standout moment is how everyone is forced to recalibrate on the fly when it becomes known that the Hightowers put a bunch of children among the defenders on the battlements, in an attempt to prevent Daemon from burning them with his dragon Caraxes. Daemon's immediate response is to send the suicidal Winter Wolves over the wall to open the gate, knowing most of them will die in the attempt but that a glorious death in battle is all these wild Northerners want anyway. It's clear in this meeting that the River host means business, and is capable of developing a sound strategy to see their goal achieved, no matter the cost.
2. The last true parley of the Dance of the Dragons
Another standout moment in the lead up to the battle happens when Gwayne Hightower (Freddie Fox) comes to the Black camp with Corlys Velaryon (Steve Toussaint) in an attempt to find a way to avoid the coming slaughter. Everything about the way this scene is staged, scripted, and filmed is immaculate. It's immediately obvious that Gwayne has put himself in a life-or-death situation, Daemon has never been scarier, Roddy the Ruin (Tommy Flanagan) throws a fun bit of intimidation into the mix, and Corlys gets a last chance to shine as a mediator before things go truly off the rails.
Knowing what's ahead in Fire & Blood, there's a good chance this scene could become the last true attempt at a parley between the Greens and Blacks on the battlefield before the civil war's endgame. This is a scene I fully expect to age like fine wine the farther we get from it in the show's upcoming fourth and final season.
3. Daemon's battlefield speech
Daemon Targaryen has a reputation as one of the most seasoned battlefield commanders in Westeros during the Dance of the Dragons, and he proves it at the Battle of Tumbleton. If not for Ulf's betrayal, it's a far-gone conclusion that the Blacks would have won the day.
But Daemon's strength isn't just in his willingness to lead from the front and his military experience; it's also in his ability to inspire others to charge into the breach with him. This crops up a few times during the Battle of Tumbleton, most notably when Daemon rides his horse before his assembled army and gives them a rousing speech to get them ready for the fight ahead. "I don't want the best of you, I want the worst!" he screams at them, and it's clear that this is both exactly what they need to hear, as well as a chilling reminder for the audience that this army wants bloodshed just as much as they want victory. There are no true heroes here.
4. The Winter Wolves storming the walls
Following Daemon's speech, the Winter Wolves begin their raid on the city. Like many viewers, I'd wanted to see more of the Northern army and its leader, Roddy the Ruin, all season long, and the finale did not disappoint. They're the first to attack in the battle, fighting their way up the walls of Tumbleton while Hightower soldiers pummel them with stones and boiling oil. It's a brutal way to kick things off.
Of course, Roddy is one of the first over the wall, and he quickly starts chopping the Hightower defenders to bits. But just in case you were starting to feel too much like this was a valiant moment for the northmen, he also axes a child who hits him from behind. The Battle of Tumbleton leaves no one unscathed, and that's clear right from the jump as the Winter Wolves let loose.
5. Daemon and Caraxes open the gate
Despite their ferocity, the Winter Wolves actually fail in their mission to get the gate open when they're beset by Jon Roxton's (Joplin Sibtain) knights. With the Black army stuck outside for a dangerously long amount of time, Daemon makes the bold gambit to charge the gate singlehandedly on his dragon, Caraxes.
Like Daemon, Caraxes is one of the most battle-hardened dragons in the war. He proves it here, setting the battlements ablaze and stomping across the field. But just like Roddy's triumphant moment on the walls, this is no moment of heroism. Ormund forces a bunch of children out in front of the gates, and while Daemon does shout for them to get out of the way, he still ends up having to burn two alive in order to break the city's defenses. At least we get one of the coolest dragon shots of the episode right afterward when Caraxes' head burst through the gates to keep us from mulling too long on Daemon Targaryen's latest war crime.
6. Daeron tries to free Tessarion
We've focused quite a lot on the Blacks so far in this list, and that's because they really do have quite the banger of an episode. But Team Green also has some great moments. The young prince Daeron Targaryen (Benjamin Evan Ainsworth) spends the beginning of the battle frustrated that so many are going to die in his name; eventually this pushes him to try to free his dragon, Tessarion, and take to the sky himself.
Tessarion has gotten very little screentime this season, and while I would have loved to see her in the air with Daeron, it was still great to get this last moment with them. Gwayne Hightower stands between his nephew and the battle, desperate to keep him from a fight he would assuredly die in. This moment where Daeron tries to step into his own strength, and Gwayne tries to protect a family member he cares deeply about, is a wonderful bit of heartfelt drama in the midst of all the carnage.
As it turns out, Gwayne undoubtedly saves Daeron's life. Because while Daeron the Daring and his dragon do fight in the First Battle of Tumbleton in the book, the layout of things is changed enough in the show by Ulf attacking both sides and the inclusion of Caraxes that there's little chance Daeron and Tessarion would have made it out alive.
7. Ulf's treasons
One of the stars of the Battle of Tumbleton is Ulf the White, the commoner dragonseed who betrays both the Blacks and Greens. Ulf has spent all season just wanting somebody to give him a castle to go with his dragon, so that he can drink with the lads and enjoy his upjumped station. Ormund Hightower promised to give him all that and more, sealing Ulf's betrayal. We get a few great scenes with Ulf this episode, including one where he shows just how scary he can be by telling the tavernfolk in Tumbleton about his plan to burn the Blacks, and another where Ormund finds him passed out on a toilet and totally blows their alliance by beating and berating him in public.
But the big scene for Ulf is obviously his betrayal, when he takes to the sky on his dragon Silverwing and attacks the Black army outside the walls. This was to be expected, given the way the show had set up Ulf's treason. But even more shocking was when Ulf turned Silverwing around and torched the Green army in Tumbleton as well, unleashing utter devastation on the defenseless smallfolk there. It was a horrific act that clearly marks out Ulf as one of the most dangerous and detestable characters on the series as it heads into its final season.
8. Roddy the Ruin vs Ormund Hightower
While the larger battle is thrilling on so many levels, the duels that happen near its end truly elevate the experience. Recognizing that he's missed his chance to die gloriously opening the gate, Roddy the Ruin aims for the next best ending he can think of: charging Ormund Hightower singlehanded. The two meet atop the walls for a vicious battle that seals both their fates.
James Norton's Ormund was a total standout character for season 3, and while he does die in the First Battle of Tumbleton in the book, I wasn't sure if House of the Dragon would commit to getting rid of him after he'd made such an impact. Thankfully, the show proved it had the guts and delivered.
Roddy and Ormund's fight isn't long, but man is it intense. Roddy smashes in Ormund's teeth with his shield; Ormund cuts off Roddy's arm. The blood from Roddy's stump sprays Ormund's face, invoking his gag reflex, and the Winter Wolf commander seizes the opportunity to shove Ormund against the wall and ram a dagger up his ass. It's all capped off by Ulf, arriving as the two are dying to engulf them in dragonfire.
The best part of all is their reactions: Ormund screams in terror, while Roddy holds it out his arms in welcome and cackles with delight. What a way to go!
9. Daemon vs Jon Roxton
The other big duel that happens at Tumbleton is between Daemon Targaryen and Bold Jon Roxton, and unlike Roddy and Ormund's, this one is brutal and totally unpredictable. Daemon has about as much plot armor as a character can get in this series, but somehow I was still worried he might die as Roxton beat the snot out of him, using his superior size and strength to hammer the rogue prince relentlessly.
This duel is a perfect example of House of the Dragon improving on the source material, because it is one of the rare times we've ever seen two fighters with Valyrian steel swords engaged in a duel. Roxton's Orphan-Maker and Daemon's Dark Sister may have been the conceptual in-roads to this fight for the show's writers, but the execution makes it one of the best fights of House of the Dragon's run to date. It also puts Jon Roxton on the map as a serious threat to basically anyone he crosses paths with from this point on in the series. Woe to anyone who has to fight him in season 4.
10. The aftermath
We end with the end: the horrifying aftermath of Ulf's burning of Tumbleton. House of the Dragon is all about a war with no true victor, where rival branches of House Targaryen set the realm aflame in their dispute over who should sit the Iron Throne. Because of that, it's important that most every major battle in the war feels like a pyrrhic victory at best, with both sides devastated by what they've unleashed.
The Battle of Tumbleton more than achieves this idea, with Daemon stumbling through the ruined city while its citizens wander around him like zombies, bearing terrible burns and cradling their dead. We see outside the city walls as well, where the Black army is similarly devastated. And beyond Daemon, we also feel some losses with other main characters; Gwayne searches to see if Daeron survived, while Hugh the Hammer discovers his wife's corpse after ignoring Rhaenyra's orders to stay away from the battle.
It's a heartwrenching sequence that is the absolute perfect way to end this epic battle, reminding us that for all the excitement of a big action sequence like this one, there are real consequences for the characters involved, from innocent bystanders to major power players and everyone in between.
The Battle of Tumbleton stands as one of the finest battle sequences House of the Dragon has yet produced, but with one season to go, the chances are good we'll see some others that match it before the Dance of the Dragons civil war ends. Watch out for season 4 sometime in 2028.
In the meantime, you can rewatch "The Treasons at Tumbleton" as many times as you want on HBO Max. Check out our detailed recap and review of the episode here.
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